I'm looking to get a 225 and I wanted to get a good 3M mix but I just found out that they stopped making it. 
Does anyone know a good substitute?
Thanks,
Joel
Does anyone know a good substitute?Thanks,
Joel
3M Color Quartz substitute ?
- Thread starter JoelR
- Start date
I believe the replacement is http://www.spectraquartz.com/ which is said to be very similar if not the same. I am in Canada and was unable to find any place to get the 200 lbs I was looking for but maybe in the US it might be more available.
I hit the same road block JoelR.
Here is what I just found last week:
http://www.permacolorquartz.com/pdf/pooldoc.pdf (Specific Product)
http://www.permacolorquartz.com/ (General company info)
I found this distributed at the same place that carried the 3M ColorQuartz material. Cost was $25 per 50lb bag. I picked up 150 lbs of their type S (finer) grade. I plan on posting the difference between the 3M and Estes product shortly.
Here is what I just found last week:
http://www.permacolorquartz.com/pdf/pooldoc.pdf (Specific Product)
http://www.permacolorquartz.com/ (General company info)
I found this distributed at the same place that carried the 3M ColorQuartz material. Cost was $25 per 50lb bag. I picked up 150 lbs of their type S (finer) grade. I plan on posting the difference between the 3M and Estes product shortly.
Thanks guys.
Cicho,,, please let me know how it turns out. Were you able to mix it the way you wanted? I liked how 3M had the different mixes you could choose from. I called them and left a message to try & find out where the closest dealer to me is, but no response. I'll try again.
Cicho,,, please let me know how it turns out. Were you able to mix it the way you wanted? I liked how 3M had the different mixes you could choose from. I called them and left a message to try & find out where the closest dealer to me is, but no response. I'll try again.
I wanted the 3M colorquartz pretty bad too but I called 3M who forwarded me to the new company who makes it who said the closest it is to MA is DC I believe, and they wouldnt ship under 100 bags haha.
I went with seachem flourite black sand, and was very disappointed because it should be called seachem flourite gray clay....nowwhere near dark black, which wouldnt matter if its covered with plants but I'm only going to have a few tall plants. It did grow the hell out of some plant bulbs in the week I had it in my tank.
I switched it out for tahitian moon sand...couldnt be happier it looks awesome.
flourite black sand comes in 15lb bags for around $26 each shipped from amazon. For my 90 I rinsed 6 of them for over an hour and it was still ultra cloudy and dirty. Might have been able to get away with 5 bags but probly not.
TMS was $20 a bag for 20lb bag at LFS and 3 bags was plenty. The flourite black sand is much more dense so you dont get as much coverage from the same weight of sand.
If you want a LOT of plants and dont care as much about the look of the sand, and want to spend a little more and have to rinse, get flourite black sand.
If you want black awesome looking sand, get some TMS, throw some root tabs in there if you want some plants. The shiny specks you see in pictures in the TMS look really good in real life...I didnt like the look of it from pictures but in person its great.
I went with seachem flourite black sand, and was very disappointed because it should be called seachem flourite gray clay....nowwhere near dark black, which wouldnt matter if its covered with plants but I'm only going to have a few tall plants. It did grow the hell out of some plant bulbs in the week I had it in my tank.
I switched it out for tahitian moon sand...couldnt be happier it looks awesome.
flourite black sand comes in 15lb bags for around $26 each shipped from amazon. For my 90 I rinsed 6 of them for over an hour and it was still ultra cloudy and dirty. Might have been able to get away with 5 bags but probly not.
TMS was $20 a bag for 20lb bag at LFS and 3 bags was plenty. The flourite black sand is much more dense so you dont get as much coverage from the same weight of sand.
If you want a LOT of plants and dont care as much about the look of the sand, and want to spend a little more and have to rinse, get flourite black sand.
If you want black awesome looking sand, get some TMS, throw some root tabs in there if you want some plants. The shiny specks you see in pictures in the TMS look really good in real life...I didnt like the look of it from pictures but in person its great.